Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎270r] (539/749)

Military Attache s Intelligence Summary No. 13, Secret, for the period
'2§th March to ls£ April, 1945.— {Communicated in Tehran Despatch
No. 102 of Ath April; Received 17th April.)
Persian Affairs ' ^
Political. .
Ihere has been no meeting of the Majlis since the Nauruz holidays, so
v r e -r me Mm ister remains in office. The election of a new President of the
Majlis and office-bearers is shortly due, and the Prime Minister hopes that the
disagreements that are likely to arise over those elections may disrupt the unity
of the Majlis groups now combined in opposition to him. Moreover, there is as
yet no agreement among a majority of the Deputies as to his successor. Pakravan
and Bader are the most talked-of candidates.
2. For some time past Seyyid Zia has absented himself from sessions of
the Majlis. He has been occupied with the organisation of this party under the
name of Iradeh-i-Milli (the National Will). The party has published an
admn able piogiamme of reform and has gained some adherents in Tehran, who
do not, however, include any persons of present or likely future political
importance. Because of its opposition to the Tudeh party it is supported
nnancially by some merchants and millowners. Little progress, if any. has as vet
been made with the organisation of branches in the provinces.
3. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nasrullah Intezam, has resigned. This
may be due in part to the opposition that has been expressed to his being appointed
to lead the Persian delegation to the San Francisco Conference. Taqizadeh’s
refusal to go is said to be due to his objection to being second fiddle to Intezam.
1 he composition of the delegation may now be changed.
4. Active opposition to the Tudeh party is increasing. In Isfahan the
Deputies Saifpur Fatimi and Doulatabadi, aided by the impolitic actions of
an d the firm action of the Governor-General against
ludeh disturbers of the peace, have for the time being welded the elements
opposed to the Tudeh party into some unity, with the result that the Tudeh
party has lost ground. On the 27th March the offices of the party were wrecked
by members of the anti-Tudeh Union after an exchange of stone-throwino- which
took place during a demonstration organised by the latter. In Azarbaijan in
the districts of Ardebil and Maragheh, agents of the Tudeh party have been
meeting with rough treatment. In Shiraz, too, active opposition is beincr
organised. The Tudeh press has been fulminating with hysterical anger ao-ains't
the fascists, reactionaries and agents of imperialism whom it blames foAhesP
manifestations of dislike of the Russian fifth column.
5. The killing of five Persians, apparently intending to steal Allied
telegraph wire, by Indian troops protecting the Ime has been very strongly and
unfavourably criticised—-it may be assumed, not without Russian approval—bv
the Tudeh party paper Rahbar. After asserting the illegality of the action of
the Indian troops, the article goes on to express sympathy with the “poor
dirty, illiterate ” Indians, who were not the persons really to blame. 1
A ppointments — Military.
6
The following Sarhangs have been promoted to Sartip
(i) Hussein Atapur, C.B.E. : Inspectorate Department
(ii) Nasrullah Bayendor : head of Army Engineer Department
ni) Muhammad Mazheri : Director of 4th Bureau, General Staff
(* v ^'‘.UkrUr^k 1111 : G 0 C - 3rd (Azerbaijan) Division
( v ) , Mehdi Qub Alavi Muqaddam : Army Veterinary Services
(vi) Seifullah Parsa : head of No. 1 Military HoSpttal Tehran
[65—6J . ‘
I 23 JUN
/ INDIA u